


𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 🁡 𝐺𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟’𝑠 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑠

by Adrenalineshots, sonshineandshowers, TheFibreWitch



Series: Domino 🁡 [6]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, Case Fic, Digital Art, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hallucinations, Harassment, Health Emergency, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Mental Health Issues, Metafiction, Murder Mystery, Nightmares, Personification, Surrealism, Trauma, Unreliable Narrator, Video, a lot of really strange stuff that happens in altered states of consciousness, anxiousness, reader-driven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26502541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adrenalineshots/pseuds/Adrenalineshots, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonshineandshowers/pseuds/sonshineandshowers, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFibreWitch/pseuds/TheFibreWitch
Summary: Selecting 𝐺𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟’𝑠 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑠 from the bookshelf, Malcolm travels through his own mind.Read this story at:https://www.thedominostory.com/#gullivers-travelsThis book is one part of the Domino series. If you have not yet read thePrefaceorIntroduction, please head there first.
Series: Domino 🁡 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926451
Comments: 3
Kudos: 2
Collections: Domino 🁡, Prodigal Son Big Bang 2020 - Saturday Posts





	𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 🁡 𝐺𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟’𝑠 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑠

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jameena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jameena/gifts), [MissScorp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissScorp/gifts), [ProcrastinatingSab](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProcrastinatingSab/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Gulliver's Travels](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/685276) by Jonathan Swift. 



> This book is one part of the Domino series. If you have not yet read the [Preface](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497927/chapters/64577434#workskin) or [Introduction](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497927/chapters/64588537#workskin), please head there first.
> 
> Betaed by the wonderful [Jameena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jameena/), [MissScorp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissScorp/), and [ProcrastinatingSab](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProcrastinatingSab/).
> 
> Credit to the creators and their works that inspired and were referenced in this work:  
>  **— Inspiration:**[Gulliver's Travels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulliver%27s_Travels) \- Jonathan Swift  
>  **— Cover Song:**[Rockin’ Robin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LklFP1IG9KY) \- Bobby Day

[](https://www.thedominostory.com/images/full/gullivers-travels.jpg) |   
---|---  
  
“Stop tickling me, Sunshine,” Malcolm says, her beak pulling at the small hairs on his arm. “Papa needs sleep.”

He doesn’t know what time it is, but as usual, he feels like he hasn’t slept enough. Instead of leaving him be, she picks up again near his elbow, rubs her entire head against his upper arm. “You have food, what is it?” he asks, his eyes still closed, buried in the pillow beneath him. If he stays hidden enough, maybe she’ll relent.

The tickle travels down his leg to his feet, flitting so fast it’s almost like there are multiple Sunshines racing at warp speed to get his attention. He ignores the feeling, wanting to try to get at least another hour of rest, even if it doesn’t involve sleep.

There’s a bite at his earlobe, and his eyes fly open. Biting bird means upset bird means something’s wrong. Is she sick? Are her needs more urgent than he thought? His wide eyes look before him, and he quickly realizes Sunshine isn’t the one with the problem.

He is.

Instead of being bound by his usual restraints, there’s twine wrapped around his entire body, anchored into the bed frame. The knots are tied with utmost precision — he’s not going anywhere. Sunshine’s sitting right in front of his nose, looking him in the eye with an ire that could melt like a solar flare, yet his bigger concern is her eight friends in the distance who seem to be multiplying before him.

They’re all blue, their coloring mimicking nighttime to her daylight. When did he bring more parakeets home? Did he leave a window open? Is there a banner draped outside proclaiming, ‘ _Animal Lover: Inquire Within_?’

Before he can ask what’s going on, Sunshine turns her head away in sharp determination. “Newbie, Wax-C, Firstie, Wax-G, Fullie, Wan-G, Thirdie, Wan-C, make sure they’re nice and tight,” she calls to them, organizing the brigade to complete their actions.

She’s in on this charade?

Orders given, she turns back to him. “We have a growing family,” she says, tapping her foot against his collarbone, her nails lightly scratching him. “We need a bigger cage.”

Looking away from her for one moment, he takes in that there must be 50 parakeets in his loft. There are a few yellow birds whose markings are closer to some of Sunshine’s colors, but the majority of them are all blue. “Brightshine, Rightshine, Fineshine, Moonshine, get back over here and help,” she orders, and the four yellow birds fly from the headboard to under the bed to assist with the tie downs.

Where did all these parakeets come from? His mother would not be pleased. She’s upset by the occasional mess of one, never mind a small army. Though he might be able to keep them under wraps for some time, she’s apt to barge in, and she’s observant enough to know he’s sheltering a small zoo.

“We have only one demand,” Sunshine says, pressing beak to nose and getting as close as possible to drill her point home. “Deluxe cage fit for all of us.”

She has an entire loft to explore most days when he’s home. How is that not enough? What does she want, her own apartment? He supposes he could afford one, but then they’d never see each other. “What’s wrong, Sunshine?” he asks, but tied up, he can’t pet her head or run a finger down her back to let her know how much she is loved.

“We’d like the space under the stairs.” She points with her wing. “Custom-built cage with all of the nicest amenities to stretch past the bureau. We need our beauty sleep.”

“Okay, Sunshine,” Malcolm says, admitting defeat. He just wants to hold her, apologize for missing something that she needs, give her a ride on his shoulder.

The ties around his left arm disappear, and he can finally reach out to comfort her. She ducks away from his touch. “Not so fast,” she tells him, her tone sharing they’re not done with the conversation. “Order. Now.”

Huh? She looks at his nightstand, then back at him, nightstand — him, imploring that he needs to investigate where she’s pointing. Reaching out with his arm, he pulls back his cell phone. “Sunshine, what?”

“Order the cage. I have all the measurements — you just need to make the purchase.”

“I’d be better at this right-handed,” he says.

“Not giving you a chance to escape until the order is placed.”

He fumbles with the phone in his left hand, listening to Sunshine’s specifications and slowly typing them in. With his fingerprint, his credit card information gets auto-filled, and the purchase is completed, set to arrive with all the components needed to assemble in three to four weeks.

“Thank you,” she coos before booping his chin with her head.

The ties disappear, all of the birds working together as if they’re sewing Cinderella’s dress for the ball. The whole floor gets littered in what must be a few balls of twine. Then his body gets covered in a gaggle of snuggling parakeets. “We love you, Bright,” the chorus says, chirps and tweets coming out amidst their ruffling and settling.

“I love you, too,” he says. “Please, just tell me next time. No need to keep me hostage.”

“You weren’t listening,” Sunshine replies, nuzzled up under his chin. “So we got your attention.”

“Noted. Where’d all your friends come from?” he asks, closing his eyes again.

“Everywhere,” she says. “Every phase of the moon, constellations, stars — they all send help when it’s needed.”

“You need help?” he asks.

“Not anymore. We’ll keep you safe. Go to sleep, Bright.”

All their little heartbeats fluttering around him, he tries to listen, wondering how he’s ever going to put their new home together. Maybe Gil will have an idea.

His mother, well… he best not tell her. What’s a few more parakeets in the building between friends? Maybe the first floor can become a parakeet café. An income generating property for bird enthusiasts. That’ll spin it in a favorable light.

Sunshine will come up with something.

— ◌◯◌ —

The metal bowls are a little bit dirty. Reaching into the cage, Luisa grabs them and takes them straight to the sink, sure to keep Sunshine inside the cage. “I can’t run around collecting you, I’m sorry,” she says, talking to Sunshine while she works. “When Malcolm comes home, he’ll have adventures with you.”

She gets an eye looking at her in return. “I don’t know when,” she tells her. “I’ll be here every day until he is. I’ll play with you, keep you fed.” She dries out the now clean bowl, slices some banana, and adds a little bit of seed. The other gets filled with fresh water, and they both get walked back to the cage.

Setting the water bowl on the floor, she angles the food dish back in first, hoping to distract Sunshine while she re-attaches the water dish. Sunshine doesn’t fall for the ruse, but she doesn’t get out either.

“Eat a little bit, then we’ll play,” Luisa says, then walks back to the kitchen to see if there’s anything she can tidy. Unsurprisingly, there’s a whole lot of nothing to do. After checking if any of the fresh fruit is spoiling, there’s not much else she can contribute. The loft is spotless, a sign that Malcolm had a chain of manageable days prior to his hospitalization.

“He’ll be home soon,” she tells Sunshine. She hopes it’s the truth. The family’s been through enough.

She sticks her finger through the cage, petting between Sunshine’s wings. “Here comes the sun,” she sings, then hums the in-between bits. “Here comes the sun.” She hums again.

Sunshine's high-pitched chirp sounds like she's missing her friend, a poignant slice through the air in the loft.

“It’s alright.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Head back to the [Bookshelf](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497927/chapters/64588570#workskin) to pick another book. :)


End file.
